Now Commenting On:

Weaver gives up eight runs in wild tie against A's

3/16/13: Alberto Callaspo smacks a line-drive double to center field to knock in two runs and stake the Angels to an early lead

By Jane Lee
/
MLB.com |

PHOENIX -- In a wild, back-and-forth affair, the Angels and A's played to a 13-13 tie at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Saturday.

The Angels were first to grab a lead against starter Travis Blackley, scoring three times off the southpaw in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run double from third baseman Alberto Callaspo.

But the A's responded with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Angels ace Jered Weaver -- who gave up eight runs in his two-inning start -- walked leadoff hitter Coco Crisp and, after a Jed Lowrie double put runners on second and third, outfielder Josh Reddick brought them home with a three-run homer to right-center, his third of the spring.

It would represent the first of three homers off Weaver, who proceeded to give up the long ball to left fielder Yoenis Cespedes and non-roster catcher Luke Montz -- hitless in his first 13 at-bats -- in a five-run second. For Cespedes, it was his first home run of the spring.

Weaver exited after two, having given up eight runs on six hits with two walks and no strikeouts. One of those runs came in on a balk.

"I just didn't have any command and didn't have a feel for any of my pitches," Weaver said. "It's one of those days where you try to make adjustments and something just didn't feel right. I feel healthy, feel good, just didn't have a feel for any of my pitches. Fastball command was terrible, everything was up and flat."

Blackley, meanwhile, fared much better after the first, keeping the Angels off the board in the second and third, before departing and telling media "that's the best I've felt since last year." The outing was much-needed for the lefty, who has been inconsistent this spring while fighting for a bullpen job.

The A's added on in the sixth against right-hander Kevin Johnson, when Reddick boarded on a base hit and came around to score on Brandon Moss' RBI triple.

In the previous inning, Angels lefty reliever Sean Burnett, making just his second appearance of the spring after dealing with lower back stiffness early in camp, turned in an encouraging outing and allowed just one hit with one strikeout.

"I was able to throw the breaking ball for a strike today, which I know I've been fighting with a little bit out here," Burnett said. "Just, all in all, everything was working and I was pounding the zone. What you saw today is what you're going to get most of the time."

The Angels scored six runs in the eighth and ninth innings to take a 13-10 lead, but the A's rallied for three in the bottom of the ninth as the game ended in a draw.

Up next: C.J. Wilson gets the start on Sunday, when the Angels host the Padres at Tempe Diablo Stadium at 1:05 p.m. PT on MLB.TV. Wilson, who has a 5.79 ERA in 4 2/3 Cactus League innings, last pitched in an intrasquad game during Tuesday's off day and looked good through five innings. Mitch Stetter, a lefty specialist signed to a Minor League contract early in the offseason, is slated to make his spring debut after dealing with a bulging disk in his back.

Jane Lee is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Major Lee-ague, and follow her on Twitter @JaneMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.